531 Distortion (2/2)
They knew their way around since it was their second day in the village.
Jiese was especially alert after being reminded by Fang Yuan to beware. He found it weird that the villagers were largely expressionless with a vacant look in their eyes.
”Haha…”
A ball woven from reefs rolled into their path with a child following code behind. Chen Xin was taken aback.
”It's Goudan! And Madam Donghua!”
However, the mother and son pair walked past them like they were invisible.
”We have fallen into this time loop…”
Chen Xin broke into tears as she spoke.
”No...I don't want to die. Why did I come here? I want to go home, I want to see my Brother! Boohoo…”
”Alright!”
Tantai Guihu passed her a paper handkerchief.
”Relax...we will defeat this curse.”
”It's...it's all your fault! If it wasn't for you, why would I be in this godforsaken place? And my brother wouldn't have died!”
She used to feel that her crush on Tantai Guihu made her willing to do anything for him.
But at this point, with her life in danger and the curse hanging over all of them like an axe, she realised that she wanted to live more than anything else.
”Xin'er…”
Tantai Guihu was speechless.
”I don't want to see you ever again!”
Chen Xin shouted at him and ran towards the village entrance.
Fang Yuan could not help but shake his head at this scene. If the curse could be easily undone, wouldn't it make everything that has happened a joke?”
”I'll go after her!”
Tantai Guihu gritted his teeth. He knew that Chen Xin had no hope against the danger that they faced. He could not give up on her, especially seeing how her brother had died for him.
”Fine. We'll split into two groups. Jiese and I will go look for the village chief and the temple. Let's meet at Madam Donghua's house tonight!”
Fang Yuan nodded.
In truth, he had long considered Chen Xin a burden. If she wanted to look for trouble herself, she could go ahead.
Also, now that they had found the Ghost Sealing Village, even Tantai Guihu was no longer of no use to him.
After watching Tantai Guihu disappear into the distance, Fang Yuan turned away nonchalantly and proceeded to seek out the village chief.
”Yes? Looking for accommodation, sure!”
The village chief agreed readily.
”Don't worry, we will pay for our lodgings. Also, I am an archaeologist and would like to visit your temple. Can we?”
Fang Yuan flashed a bright smile.
”Temple?”
The village chief changed his expression.
”There's nothing to see over there. If you want to examine our antiques, we do have quite a few…”
”Full of rubbish. I won't play this game with you.”
Fang Yuan kicked out at the village chief after saying his piece.
Ping!
The village chief had never met anyone this mercurial and screamed as he hit the wall at the far end.
”We have a troublemaker in the village!”
”Hit them! Kill them!”
The villagers responded to the cries of the village chief's wife. Armed with hoes and pitchforks, they surrounded Fang Yuan and Jiese angrily.
”Scram!”
Fang Yuan held up a rock and crushed it into powder with his bare hand. He then threw out the powder towards the mob.
Poof!
Mists of blood burst out among the mob and their shrieks filled the air.
”Amituofo...these are real people!”
Jiese was perplexed.
”Have mercy! Don't go on a senseless killing spree!”
”What if I want to? Are you going to stop me?”
Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes.
”No, but at least allow me to recite the reincarnation mantra for them!”
...
Fang Yuan did show mercy in the end and refrained from killing anyone.
The village chief had decided to cooperate with Fang Yuan, albeit reluctantly, after seeing his superior martial arts display. They were led to the temple.
”S...sir, you may take whatever you want to. Don't hurt us, and we'll do whatever you want us to!”
The village chief pulled a long face and took out a bronze key laboriously. He used to key to open the door into a yard.
This yard was hidden among buildings that all looked the same. If they did not have a good guide, they would have spent days looking for it.
Fang Yuan strode across the yard and stopped in front of the main hall. He stared at the rows of tablets before him.
”The memorial tablet of ancestor Gui Kao…”
Jiese read out the inscriptions on a random tablet and turned sharply to the village chief.
”Sir, what is your surname?”
”My surname is Gui [1]”
The village chief pulled an even longer face.
”I'm telling the truth. It's not a joke.”
”I see!”
Jiese nodded.
The Gui surname was indeed a surname with ancient origins.
According to the village chief, most of the people living in the vicinity had the surname Gui, which gave rise to the name of this village they were stuck in: Five Ghosts Village.
…...
[1] Gui is the pinyin of the Chinese character for 'ghost'.